Carpe Diem
by Fraye
Summary: Reality is bittersweet. Fic for Swiper's contest.


_Earth-shattering darkness; then, a sudden feeling of remorse washing over me; both taken away as the wind brushed past my cheek._

_I was lying in a field. The bright blue sky was above me while I could hear the nearby sound of the ocean lapping at sands and stones. Scent of sea-salt hung heavy in the air, accented with the smell of fish._

_This is Zoness, right? Maybe late spring or summer was at least a possibility considering the warm air and the occasional bloomed flower around me. _

_As I brought myself to a sitting position, I saw the sun sinking into the deep blue. Trails of orange and red swiveled through the water. Like the skin of a fruit, the blending colors of the sun on water peeled away from the sea and swirled unto itself until all that was left was one small, orange ball._

_I watched it burst; stars and endless black expanding from it. Tendrils escaped the controlled cloud, jerking through the air as they started to approach me._

_As soon as I realized this, I was on my feet and running. The field seemed to have no end. Endless shoots of grass and the repeating string of flora. It was almost like I was running in a circle. I kept running._

_But, I couldn't keep this up._

_My inhibitions and fears were placed correctly as I glanced back, just in time for the tendril to wrap around my legs and pull them out from under me. _

_My vision got blurry as my head smashed into the ground. It started to wrap around my legs, binding them together. A scream escaped my lungs as I tried to tear the wrap, pulling and cutting as fast as my body willed it. No progress seemed to be made._

_As it reached my waist, two tendrils secured my hands to my sides. There was no hope. I was going to be swallowed by the darkness. My body started to go numb from the tips of my toes up._

_Hopeless._

_The hiss had returned once more, making the air thin. My vision darkened as I struggled to stay conscious. If I fall asleep, I give up; I die._

_A miracle of miracles._

_Claws pressed into my chest as they slipped under the wrap and yanked all at once. An unearthly sound of it tearing was music to my ears. A voice spoke up, but it wasn't of anyone I knew._

"_You're okay."_

_His paw, whoever he was, sank into mine. I didn't have the strength to talk to him; so, for the next few minutes, we just stayed there like that; hand in hand. His hand was the metaphorical blanket that made me feel just that much safer. The feeling began to ebb._

_Black consumed my vision, darker than a moonless night. As my proverbial moon waned, I felt a soft surface below my back. The nightmare (or dream?) was over._

I opened my eyes, dysania a heavy weight on my limbs. I glared at the ceiling through bloodshot eyes with all of the newspaper clippings of my past endeavors staring right back, unaffected. They were completely unaware of my suffering, as per usual.

If I wasn't a hero, I wouldn't get all of those god-forsaken fan-girls trying to make me their suitor. If I wouldn't be out of the job, I'd announce my sexuality to finally be in the clear. Not that it would be a bad thing; I just wouldn't have an income… okay, maybe a bad thing. I guess it just depends on who I find.

Blueprints for the Arwing, bounties for Star Wolf; recently removed, yet the pictures remained, and a picture of my dad, James McCloud. Everyone wanted me to be him; hell, everyone wanted to be him.

There was no sun to tell me the time of day in space, so I could only assume that it was day, at least until I see a clock. There was one on my comm. bracelet. I let out a sigh as I looked at the green band.

Neon green is a horrible color that should never have been invented.

I let a small whisper rasp from my lips, "Clock." Whirring to life, the band began to glow in the lightless room. Three numbers came up in response, broadcast in a small ray of light, 23:57. It was only a few minutes to midnight. No wonder I was so fucking tired; only got four hours of sleep.

There was no desire to go back to sleep. Being so far past the point of exhaustion and not quite at the point of getting out of bed; oh ho ho; let the ultimatums begin.

Star Fox is done for. Peppy is general, Falco; well, Falco's gone, Slippy is working with his dad on the new Arwing design, and Krystal… she was my experiment, and as soon as she found out, she went off to become Panther's whore.

ROB is all I have for company.

As I found myself looking into the crisp violet eyes of Wolf 'O Donnell's bounty picture, I came to the everlasting question; "Who is Wolf 'O Donnell?"

We had met in the sky, but never on the ground. I had never seen more than his face, and what a memorable face it was. That thing haunted my dreams and nightmares until the Aparoids; now, it's just the dreams.

Most of them anyways, I haven't seen the face of whoever is in that dream. What a horrifying nightmare, such a great dream. One big oxymoron, hell, that's all my life is.

ROB's metallic voice echoed from the ajar doorway, "We're running low on rations."

"Okay ROB, I'll head out soon."

"Shall I prep your Arwing?"

"Sure, go ahead. I'll be there soon."

I let a small sigh erupt from my lung. We had tried; well, Slippy tried to make ROB more like a human. It had failed, save the sparse sarcasm that was barely noticeable.

Procrastination was a dear, sweet friend and I listened to the gentle thrum of her heartbeat as I pushed the idea of getting out of bed further and further from my mind. I didn't want to get up, at least not yet. ROB would be back in ten or so minutes; that's long enough, right?

After a few moments, I gave up on watching the ceiling and watched the luminescence of the galaxy. So far, so wide… and, I'm left all alone time and time again in the endless blue.

As I brought myself to a sitting position, I was assaulted by the ringing of my comm. bracelet.

Peppy.

I slid my claws over the surface, watching as the projected graphics scrolled. Once I saw the shaking phone, my finger slammed down and answered. Within a few seconds, and clicks of buttons, the video-call had been setup on my eastern wall; well, possibly eastern wall.

"Is everything okay Fox?" Ah, the classic, 'Oh my God! What the fuck?' in the language of Peppy Hare. God bless his poor soul.

"Yeah Peppy," I replied with feigned serenity, adding a "You?" before he could get anything else in. This was not something I expected at this hour. I thought he had a bedtime…

"Fine, fine. Have you heard anything from Falco or-" he cut himself off before the second name could escape his lips. I knew who he was talking about.

"Falco is Falco, and Krystal is with Star Wolf…" I said, then remembered the façade Peppy had grown accustomed to; mere moments after, I added, "Or dead, either works."

"Have you… have you seen anyone?" Peppy whispered from his side.

"You mean the three therapists you prescribed me to or a new lover?" I stated dryly, "Please elaborate Peppy." I drummed my fingers as I watched the startled hare try to respond.

"You know full well what I mean Fox, a new girl."

The word 'girl' hung in the air like a bad punch-line. The constant confinement in the Great Fox without any contact to the outside world other than the constantly visiting therapists would obviously answer that question. But, then again, Peppy hadn't been here in oh so long. "No."

Hope dimmed from his eyes in one sweeping motion. His next remark was a whimper compared to everything said up to this point, "You should."

Without a goodbye or the likes, I could see his arm shoot for a button off screen. The image, including him, was gone.

I continued to stare at the bare wall.

ROB's voice pierced my thoughts, "Your arwing is prepped, sir," with mock-sarcasm on the 'sir.' This merely reminded me of all of my fantasies of me wrapping my hands around his throat. Oh sweet, sweet memories.

"'Kay."

As soon as ROB had gone, I was on my feet. I know the therapists strongly advised against leaving this ship; but, I was starving and I needed interaction with someone who didn't evaluate my tone of voice. Well, I probably won't get that lucky.

I brushed my hands over the unkempt clothing that hung on my limbs in a futile attempt to smooth them down. Alls that I had to do now was put on the rustic flight jacket that had been around for about the past 30 years.

Grabbing up the flight jacket, I yanked a pack of cigarettes from the breast pocket, a luxury that the therapists would take away the moment they found them. The constant drug screenings were bad; but, at least they'd never catch me drinking or smoking through them.

I cupped a paw over the lighter as the flames crackled onto the lone stick resting in my lips. Once it lit, a heaving puff of smoke flowed down my throat. Thin trails of smoke escaped freely from my nose; finally. Hadn't had a smoke for weeks because of those damn sessions.

With my flight jacket slipped on, I strode down the hallway. Each step I took was just another reminder that I was trapped in a metal shell. Why can't I own any normal shoes? Who the hell came up with metal boots in the Star Fox dress-code…? Oh yeah. I sighed as images of Falco flitted across my consciousness. As bad an idea that was, it was a lot more enjoyable when he was here.

Walking only brought clanks of metal on metal reminding me of the empty hollow shell I was incarcerated in and standing still only let me see the endless hallway that spanned for miles. I forced myself to walk. Why do we get a ship so big if we only use-- what, a quarter? Pangs of remorse ate at my heart every time I said the word 'we,' forcing me to reassure myself that ROB counted too.

He didn't.

Sweet escape neared on the horizon as the Docking Bay came into view; I never thought dusty, out-dated star-fighters could look so inviting. The peeling greys and blues were only a factor of the age, along with the high likeness that the thing blows up as soon as it starts because the wires aren't synchronized anymore. Ugh, I'm sounding more and more like the toad everyday.

Down the stairs and into the cockpit of the fated arwing that had encased my father as his life faded away. Pictures of my mother and me still decorated the dashboard, most notable the picture of us as a family; when I was three. It was four days before Mom died and seven before he had left for his demise. There was never a funeral for her, and the service for him was full of the people that had crushed on him. Several of them left when it was announced that he'd be buried with mom.

This is where I met Wolf O' Donnell.

Wolf was the man who was forced to watch my dad die. For the years following, no one saw his face; at least, not until the bounty posters of him began to show up on Corneria. Ten million credits were offered for his death, ten times that if he was left alive.

No one ever caught him. …But, I had many opportunities. No, Wolf hadn't fallen head over heels in love for my dad, at least I don't think, but they were very close. Wolf wasn't a founding member of Star Fox, nor a member in the first place, but that one mission where they had teamed up to investigate Venom and drop Andross off… was the most tragic event in Lylatian history. More lives were lost than those taken in the Lylat Wars.

Dad…dy was damaged so badly that we weren't allowed to see his body at the service. His coffin was closed, a picture from his golden days sitting atop the casket. I haven't cried since, which is one of the therapists' biggest concerns. If they'd just leave me alone, I might be able to feel something other than hatred for once.

My hands flexed on the wheel of the Arwing, a mechanical whirring echo sounding as it came to life. Green checks flicked ominously on the screen as the fuel cell threatened to die. Everything's 'go,' so I jettisoned into the primal abyss that had swallowed Katt in one of the more recent invasions of Katina. Recent history… has not been good, at all. The only people left are Star Fox and Star Wolf in all honesty. All of our friends and family are gone, except Bill. Against all odds and every ounce of misfortune, he was still alive and strong.

What was Star Fox anymore; a label to a depleted ego of the dead men that fought in the Lylat Wars? I'm the heir to the team but I'm sure as hell no leader. It's my fault that General Pepper died and my fault that Falco is on life support. Every god damn time I leave that ship, I take the underlying hope from someone's life. I glanced at the flickering lights, and catch a green 0:00

I shook myself out of the trance as the Arwing started to shake violently. I had taken a hit from another ship. I tried to yoke the ship; I tried to get it back into control… but, it was to no avail. The shaking became more and more violent; a thruster was out and I was sinking towards Corneria.

Had I finally gotten my wish, was I to die on this hour? Were all the melodramatic years of life on the team and with Peppy about to end.

Peppy…

He's the only reason I'm alive at this point; but, he's also given me a lot of hell for not behaving how he wanted me to. If he could see me now… he couldn't. I was on the way to the abyss.

A violent seize of the ship sent my head colliding with the dashboard. My vision flashed red, and faded into black as I got the final glances at the flits of consciousness: space spinning out of control as I sank to Corneria.

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Pain.

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Misery.

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Pain.

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Pain…

* * *

Shit…

A horrible pain from my head was accompanied by a stinging in my nose; both of which created a nice mixture of personal hell. I squeezed my eyes in an attempt to bury the pain.

Nothing.

I opened my eyes to see that there was no canopy above me, just the blue sky. Clouds drifted across the sky, and I was too weak to lift my head, much less sit up. I let a small sigh from my lungs and watched as the whales, Arwings, and dragonflies drifted by in various shapes and sizes. One cloud took the shape of Wolf.

Despite the pain… it was the first time in so long that I wanted to laugh. Light chuckles at first, until I had finally broken the last barrier of sanity and was full-blown laughing with nothing to have truly stirred it to this extent. It felt good to laugh, even if the pain was still there; even if I may have no hope. It was an actual light and happy moment that was happening right here and now.

The metallic scent of blood rested on my nose, constantly reminding me of an injury that was the least of my concerns. It was just then that I had finally come to realization that I could not move my right arm at all.

I had possibly broken two bones, even though I'd never broken one before in my life. It was the pride of my parents, that I was so 'safe.'

Then, I took after my Dad.

Then, they died.

Now I have a broken bone and no one to kiss it.

They had always been proud of me. They endorsed my rebellious phase and were there for my first big break-up. No matter what I did, they were always there. I had killed Andross for them; I had continued Star Fox for them. My memoirs are their doing… and, I had no desire to have my endeavors recorded in history. I'm not worthy. I was never worthy of the name McCloud.

My head fell to the side, getting an image of my destroyed ship. There was one next to it, but I couldn't quite make out what it was. Someone had saved me. I wasn't lucky.

Depression returned.

* * *

Power had begun to return to my weary bones. My will to walk remained absent; but, I had the option now. The only reason I'd walk at this point is to figure out who saved me. They never left; and whenever I nod off for even a few moments, there's food prepared and sitting next to me. It was sort of funny. I was served all of my life, and it took me getting in a horrible crash for that to happen again.

The only hint I had was that it was some kind of canid, the musk; oh, the musk, it was like I was getting sexually assaulted by breathing. The mixture of sweat and sex in every breath had accomplished in waking me up. My nose wasn't broken. I wish I could say the same for my arm.

I managed to force myself into a sitting position --a feat in itself-- and I froze as soon as I made eye contact with the canine who had kept me alive for the past week. My breath was caught in my throat, and my broken arm flailed reflexively to the spot where I usually kept a blaster. The pain enticed a scream from my lungs.

He stared at me with violet eyes, a deer trapped in headlights. My gaze had practically frozen him to the place he sat. This entire time I was convinced that a native had found me and tried to bring me to health; but, I may as well be dead. My savior was… Wolf O' Donnell. He was sitting on his Wolfen, facing me head-on.

"I… uh…" he began to choke out. I didn't want to hear his excuses. Dreams or no dreams, this man was dangerous.

"Why did you save me?" I questioned coolly, despite the pain mere moments before that had drawn tears to my eyes.

"Umm…" he attempted to stall. Was it that hard to give me an answer?

"Why did you save me?" I reiterated. It wasn't so much to get an answer anymore, than to just watch him squirm.

No answer from him, just guilty glances to the ground. He swung his legs through the air violently; he was trying to distract himself. He kept glancing at me, as if this broken fox could actually punish him for withholding information. Well, I would, if I had my blaster. I didn't exactly plan to be shot down on my way to the market though.

"Wolf?" I pressed into him, trying to get eye contact the best I could. It was a difficult task, him dodging every angle I attempted.

"Yeah, Fox?" he replied, making me pause and glance just a bit harder at him. What was he playing? The way he looked at me through sideways glances and the single moment where his head collapsed into his chest made me glance away for a moment to check my place. He was scared of me... but, why? The need to know was killing me inside.

"Look at me." After a few seconds of Wolf squeezing his eyes shut, there was finally a response. His head shook and he dragged his hands over his eyes in one slow movement. After all the preparation, I had him looking at me.

"Now, why did you save me?" I said, trailing off into thin air. If my hand were to work, I'd make motions to try and entice an answer. It would have made me feel worse about whether or not I'd get an answer though…

Nothing. Should I…? I have to know why he's doing this.

"Why?" my voice shook as I tried… just one last time.

"Because I'm not ready to lose my…" his voice cracked; then he managed to force out a meek, "Rival." He was lying. Before I had a chance to question him further, he jumped off his Wolfen and made a run for the woods.

"Wolf!" I shouted, "I'm sorry!" It had happened so suddenly, that I had to take a double take, and I'd never felt so idiotic. He's not my friend; he's my rival; why did I do that? I couldn't justify it... God damn it, why did I do that?

Pains intensified as I willed myself to get up and chase him into the woods, to make him feel better; but, I could do nothing more than get a few inches of leverage. Why was this so hard to let go? I hope he's okay… The thought left a sour taste in my mouth; which, I didn't know.

* * *

The short return of Wolf was of him wrapping my arm and placing a makeshift splint. The second time he had returned, it was with water. He was still here… somewhere… I think.

I had kept my eyes shut to see if he would do something that would hint me at the cause of all of this. I had gotten nothing yet.

He was wandering around, I could hear his footsteps; and then, silence. A few leaves crunched from right beside me, and I suddenly came to the realization of what he was doing. His hot breath rolled across my muzzle with every little exhale. For a moment, it had gotten closer; then stopped. It was almost like… like he was thinking about kissing me, and then backed out. But, Wolf wouldn't do that, right?

Right?

I opened my eyes. He was kneeling next to me, no sign of what he had been doing left behind except what I had just experienced; the little piece of evidence that would never see the light of day.

"Wolf," I whispered; just wanting to talk about something, anything, to get my mind away from trying to explain his attitude. It wasn't a puzzle I wanted to work on without the missing piece.

"Yeah Fox?" he replied with nothing more than a movement to get to his back to put us on equal ground. Strangely enough, it was comforting. I wasn't exactly expecting it, but I could understand why he did it.

His hand rested, just barely, on mine. I flinched and pulled my hand away from the chill; I must have a fever. "When we met in the skies in the Lylat Wars, we became enemies. Thousands of lives were lost at the hands of both of us, both for a different cause. Wolf, we've never truly been on the same side of the battle. Why am I still alive?"

"What do you want from me Fox? Why do you keep asking that question if you know I don't want to talk about it? I've tried so hard to keep you in good health and to save you from the crash. I keep trying to make you happy… but… uh. I mean, I never thought that IT would happen this way, but…" he cut himself off.

It was so strange replying to that, trying to make sense of that. Wolf was trying real hard to hide something… is it… no, it couldn't be. I took a breath and replied, "But why did you save me and put yourself through all of this? Is there some reason?"

"I guess…" he said, trailing off. He didn't want to talk about it. When would he want to talk about? Seriously, would I ever get my answer?

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up, "You know Fox, despite you not being able to really move; this has been really, uh, fun." He tried to find another word… I think. Wolf was confusing all around; his way of talking, how he'd interact, and what he'd done for me.

This is what Krystal confronted me on.

I glanced over at him, only to find that he was looking back. He must've been doing this all conversation, waiting for me to make an attempt on eye contact. Violet was an inviting color though.

"Wolf?" I questioned to try and distract myself from his gaze.

There was a pause before he finally gave a small nod, urging me to go on. It was almost like he couldn't say the words. He had to have read my gaze. It was the only way to explain it…

"What am I to you?" I replied. The sudden silence was overwhelming.

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"So, the cat's out of the bag, huh?" he finally replied. I wasn't sure how to respond; so, I just pulled his hand into mine. The grip was familiar and foreign.

Wolf has had feelings for me this whole time. I'm still alive because he had seen something in me that no one had truly seen before; not Fara, not Krystal.

This wasn't the first time he'd saved me. I'm in his debt two times over now; even though he had caused so much pain in my life.

It's a good thing he's here. I don't have to lie anymore…

Somewhere in my train of thought, Wolf had fallen asleep. My hand reached out, hesitant for a moment, then rubbed his chest. He was strong, and he felt… something for me. If he was truthful, then I had all the reason to feel safe and secure right now.

"Wolf," I whispered as I drew my hand back and prodded the sleeping figure next to me.

"Wolf!" another whisper. He rolled onto his back, sprawled like a dead man on the ground. He let out a violent snore; but, I couldn't help but inch closer to him. The closer I got, the more comfortable I was with the prospect of being in a relationship with Wolf O' Donnell. It was the strangest thing.

I was practically over top with him, my arms in an awkward position as I tried to not touch him and wake him up. He was so peaceful, and it seemed like it'd be a crime to end that.

I couldn't listen to reason; I was driven by emotion and nothing else. Peppy told me to start dating; and, this is just what I needed. Shouldn't I just listen to the old man already?

With a sigh, I wrapped my arms around Wolf and pulled him close. My head naturally fell to his chest, and I could hear the gentle thrum of his heartbeat and feel every breath he made. Despite the… firmness, he was a very good pillow, fur and all.

It was peaceful; but, this was the man who'd been my... 'rival?' all along. We'd met in the sky time and time again. Giving into this… this desire means that I'm putting my life under the pendulum. This is Wolf, is it worth it?

I couldn't say no to the question. I couldn't say no after these past few days.

I'd never felt more tired. I slowly slipped into a deep sleep. It'd be the first one I'd have in a long time; since Falco had left Star Fox really.

* * *

"Fox," Wolf whispered gently in my ear. I groaned in retort, batting out at the voice. Memories of yesterday flooded to my mind as I recognized his heartbeat in my ear and the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

Wolf…

"Fox…" he said once more.

I opened my eyes, running my hand up and down his chest. It felt very natural?

"Are you ready to go home?" he questioned. The question, no matter how pure the intentions were, was bitter.

Home. I did not want to go home. Home was a prison cell where I'd lived alone for so long. I'd honestly rather face death before returning to it anytime soon.

"What about Sargasso?" I pressed in an attempt to get away from the Great Fox.

"We were shut down by Cornerian Military right after our bounties were removed," he replied, an edge of questioning in his voice.

Crap…

Then, he continued, "I have an apartment in Corneria if you honestly want to stay there. I just thought that the Great Fox would be nicer for the space…" he trailed off. I hate it when he does that.

I didn't want wide open space. Every time I had wide open space, I had time to think and everything echoed. "The apartment sounds great. It'd be closer to anywhere we'd ever want to go."

"What about the sky Fox? I thought your dream was to be a pilot. What about your job?" he pressed even harder. I winced at the tone of his voice.

"Sometimes dreams change Wolf. The friends I took to the skies with me left me in the skies alone. I don't want to be alone again," I whispered, trying to restrain all the bitterness I felt at his remark. I didn't want to hurt him.

"You won't be alone," he said. It was true. I had no retort because I had no intention of shutting him down again. Let him be happy, and maybe I'll be happy too.

I sat up and gave him passage to stand up. He lifted me up and carried me to his Wolfen. This was the first time I'd seen the damage to the Arwing.

It was practically a ball of metal at this point, crushed like aluminum. How did I survive? What did Wolf do to have saved me?

We were in the Wolfen, me sitting in the small seat behind him. I heard the ship start and watched as it began to lift off. Once we were gone, I glanced at him.

The silence he'd left me in hurt like none other.

I needed to break the silence, anything, "I'm glad this happened."

I could see him glance over his shoulder at me, the faint hints of a smile curving his lip. The cleared air seemed to make him just that much more confident, "Me too pup."

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_1 month later…_

"What time is the gala?" I called to Wolf.

"We have a good hour Fox," I heard him call from the other room.

"'Kay," I shouted back.

I ran my hands down my tuxedo to try and flatten any wrinkles. There really wasn't any, I just wanted this to be perfect. It's the first time me and Wolf will be together in public, as a couple, where we will confirm all the rumors.

Wolf was in something more casual; but, I didn't own anything more casual that hadn't been destroyed while I did my job.

I had made the right choice.

On the whole car ride there, I tapped my foot and distracted myself by twiddling my thumbs. This was a much smaller drama for Wolf in comparison to me.

It was strangely quiet, despite the fact that we had a driver driving us in a limo. Peppy had arranged for me to come with my new date, but he didn't know who it was. Finally, the silence was broken.

"You ready for this Wolf?" I questioned with a nervous smile.

"Hope so," he replied.

And without much else to say, the car ride dragged on relatively long. We had arrived.

I went to get out of the car; but, Wolf put his hand on my leg and stopped me. His door opened, he walked around and then my door was open. His arm was held out in invitation.

I was going to be escorted to the door.

Cameras flashed, whispers engulfed me. The short walk to the door was drawn out. Each flash was seemingly a second added on to the walk. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't complaining. This was the sort of reaction I wanted in the end.

Once we had reached the top of the stairs, I stopped. This forced Wolf to do a 180 to stop from falling, and in that one moment, I paused and caught him. My lips mashed against his with less than serene grace.

This was our first kiss. His lips were so soft, and the way he reacted. His arms wrapped around me, my own arms around him.

We teetered on the edge of the step, managing to hold our balance as we stumbled closer to the door. The kiss didn't break.

This must be love… The bliss crumbled as I felt a hand wrap around my arm and yank me away from Wolf.

Peppy.

The overwhelming sensation of anger, of sadness, slammed into me. "Fox! What are you doing? You said you were dating again, but him?! _Him?!_" I opened my mouth to explain, "It's beca-" nope, "No. You'll wait until I'm done. Why the fuck would you date the man that intended to end your life? This is your job on the line, my job on the line… Why the hell would you do this?! We have a gala to attend; and you can't go with him... and… and… and why? Why Fox?"

I waited to make sure he had nothing else. "Oh, you're done? Yes. I'm dating Wolf O' Donnell; and if that doesn't get the message across, expect me at Cornerian Pride this summer."

"Oh don't you dare," he started, but I didn't give him the chance to say anymore?

"Dare what? Dare to be myself for the first fucking time in my whole God damn life? I know this isn't too big among your 'generation' Peppy, but it's real. Get it through your head."

"I'm the one that raised you when your parents passed, and you're going to do this to me?" and with the closing of that statement, he had a knowing look on his face. The corner of his lip curved up into the beginnings of a smile.

I didn't have anything to say. Rage overtook my senses as my fist thrust forward and crushed the grin on Peppy's face. He was already bloody by the time he hit the ground.

"We should go Fox," Wolf said, slightly shocked. I made a small spin to meet his gaze with a grin.

"No Wolf, we have a gala to attend."

The sounds of hysteria around us were all I needed to hear. I was content for once. Wolf in arm, I pulled towards the door. I made a small glance over my shoulder and waved at the blue-feathered reporter that was grinning at me.

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**FOX MCCLOUD IS GAY**

Every fangirl's dream was shattered last night as Fox McCloud confirmed the tabloid rumors. He showed up to the Cornerian annual gala with Wolf O' Donnell, former enemy of the Cornerian military. Wolf escorted Fox to the door and once on the top of the steps, they kissed. Thousands of copies of this scene, from different angles, are circulating as this is written. After the kiss, Fox and Peppy had an argument that resulted in Peppy's broken nose. We had expected to see the two make their exits from the gala, but there was no luck. We believe that the two had made their escape through the back entrance. Sadly enough, we had not even one single reporter stationed there. Neither Wolf nor Fox have been seen since.

_Falco Lombardi, Cornerian Press_

_April 18__th__, 2543_


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